Life, 1923-01-18 · page 25 of 36
Life — January 18, 1923 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Cartoon:** The top illustration depicts a motorist stopped by a rural man on a lonely road. The "native" explains his wife needs gasoline—specifically "a haff-a-pint"—to clean grease off her coat before attending prayer meeting. The humor relies on the contrast between the urgent, frantic tone of the motorist's questions ("Is the bridge out?") and the mundane, domestic reason for the roadside flag-down. **"Lessons in New Yorkese":** The text below is a comedic dialogue between two men ("Pete" and "Ed") discussing a disappointing musical performance they attended. It satirizes New York working-class speech patterns of the era—heavy use of dropped g's, slurred words, and fractured grammar ("mewsick," "tawkin," "dods," "tearabul"). The joke is twofold: it mocks both the casual brutality of their critique (complaining about musicians' performance) and their malapropism-laden dialect itself. The piece ends with Pete forgetting to mention he hated the lobster salad too—a final joke about their general dissatisfaction despite attending what was supposed to be "A Pleasant Time."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Motorist (frantically flagged on a lonely road): What’s the matter? Is the bridge out? Native: It’s my missus, mister. She’s goin’ to prayer meetin’ an’ she’s got some grease on her coat. Lessons in New Yorkese She wants to know would you let her have a haff-a-pint o’ gasoline. “A Pleasant Time Was Had by AII’ € LO Pete, howarya? Betternya look ?” “Say, Yed, Ibeen lookin fayou. At mewsick atta dans lastnite was some- pin tearabul.” “Wawasa matta witha mewsick? Itw same mewsick wehad lastime.” “Iffit wasa same mewsick yahad lastime youwaint hadno me} A atall ever fyou get whatta mean. “You tryinta slamma mewsick ?” “Hones Ed fiwasonna Houskam- itty Ibe ashamdameself.” “\Vawasa matta withit ?” “Awit didin havanufpep.” “\Whaja expeck—Susie’s band?” *Nowididin expeck Susie’s band. Buttidid hopetahave haffachanst ta- shake medawgs. Anna drumma had- da herl onnis sneck.” “Wellitwas his sneck. Wattavit ?” “Wella berl onna drummas sneck donlook toogood atta dans Sed.” “Yeh? Gotanny morekicks ?” “Yeh Igottalotta kicks. At guy witta sassaphone didingive twenny tootsouta it allnite. Anna guy with- afiddle spenallahistime tawkinta sum- buddy inbackuvvim.” “Maybe youwas tawkin somuch in- frontuvvim he couddentalk nowheres ellus.” “Yeh? Wheres ellus wouldeetalk? Hewas paidfa playin naffa tawkin.” “Yeh? Youwaint tolme wawwas wrong witha pyano yet.” “Hewas awrite. He mustagotintata wrong dans.” g “Isatso? Well atswatta geffa try- inta runoffa dans foralotta bums.” “Isatso? Isupposat treefifty apeece yagotoffenus was a lotta bums too?” “Well youwaint seein me buyino Rollsrerce withit an danchafagettit.” “Yamighta jusaswell as givvit to them bums. They was tearabul.” “Imsawry yadidin enjerthem Pete. Iguessmaybe yahadaw' givvenem ashotasumpin takindajazzemup.” “Tyaint waistin nunnamegood lik- ka onnennyathem dodos. Whyntja givvem summayerown?” “Tguessa shouldawta. Well stoo- late now, Pete. Wewont havvem agen.” “Sawrite Ed stoolate now. No hardfeelins.” “Nohardfeelins Pete. Imsawry. So- long.” “Solong Ed. Say Yed.. .” “Whattizzit, Pete?” “Tfagetta tellya Ed salad. “Ooh yeh, the lobstasalad. Tha- was good, wasinit ?” “Tt was tearabul.” thalobsta- H.W. #H. comicbooks.com